PPD has signed a data-minded deal with the collection experts at ERT, a partnership the companies believe will help their clients conduct more efficient trials.
Under the agreement, PPD will offer ERT's safety and efficacy data-collection services to its biopharma partners, working to integrate the company's technology with its own platform.
ERT focuses on accurately and efficiently culling patient- and clinician-reported outcomes in both clinical trials and real-world settings. Combining its offering with PPD's end-to-end platform, the company figures it can save time and money for sponsors. The average clinical trial uses between 5 and 7 systems to collect data, according to ERT, creating an unmet need for its all-in-one offering.
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| Paul Colvin |
"ERT's advanced technology in centralized cardiac safety, respiratory services and clinical outcome assessments complements PPD's robust client offerings across our Phase I-IV clinical trials business," PPD Executive Vice President Paul Colvin said in a statement. "ERT has an exemplary reputation in providing these services, and this partnership enhances PPD's development capabilities across all therapeutic areas, with distinct advantages for respiratory, cardiovascular and late phase trials."
For ERT, the partnership comes just weeks after closing its acquisition of eClinical Insights, a provider of cloud-based trial management software. The Philadelphia-headquartered company, formerly known as eResearch Technology, went private in 2012 through a $400 million deal led by investment firm Genstar, and it has been working to expand its global presence ever since, operating offices in the U.S., U.K., Japan and Germany.
PPD has been steadily expanding its reach through partnerships and dealmaking, buying out the discovery-focused outfit X-Chem in September in an acquisition designed to bolster its early-stage capacity. Last year, the CRO bought out technology provider Acurian to better focus on clinical trial enrollment and retention services.
- read the statement